New palm sized cute hip collectibles to go online

In 2017 model and Instagrams favourite funny mother Chrissy Teigen got a tiny treat from her partnerincrime and husband singer John Legend for her birthday Singaporean clay artist Jocelyn Teo created 15 miniature replicas of dishes from Teigens cookbook Cravings including chicken satay fish tacos kale salad and chicken noodle soupIt all began in Japan though in 2014 when a YouTube Channel Miniature Space started producing videos that showcased the makings of a variety of miniature meals and dishes prepared with tiny utensils It was the start of fanatical trend of miniature food in Japan which then catapulted into an international trend But its a rare artiste who can actually do justice to the fine art of miniature clay art And in a time and society where extra large is the order of the day and almost always considered better miniature art is a refreshing genreTapasya Prabhu PicAshish RajeI started in 2013 and at that time you couldnt even buy polymer clay in India anywhere Its really that nascent here I found one little shop in Crawford Market and then in a year or two I started buying it on the internet says miniature artist Tapasya Prabhu who goes by the name Lovely Little Charms on Instagram lovelylittlecharms An architect by profession Parabhu says being a miniature artiste combines her two passions food and art Wadalabased Prabhu uses polymer clay in different colours and each work of art is around oneandahalf inchesOorjitha DogiparthiAs we look at a picture of the pav bhaji clay plate she has uploaded we are stunned at how real it looks the pav the creamy bhaji with the butter melting on it and the crispy onion next to it I spent three days working around five hours a day to make 10 of those plates The most important thing for me is texture and colour and I spend a lot of time on these aspects If I am making bread then I poke the clay with a pin till it has the exact texture of bread I used to do this as a child as well but at that time Id use aata says the 25yearold There are also avocado toasts macaroons and ramen bowls which you can add to your collection as keychains or magnets at a cost upwards of Rs 800 Most polymer art is made of polymer clay but can also include resin glass wood metal and paperIf Prabhu was playing with dough paper artist Oorjitha Dogiparthi used to make origami art as a threeyearold thanks to her mother who loved the Japanese art form I am a science student and so is my mom but origami was our main hobby Then one day I found out about miniature art and said why not try it out says the 22yearold That was 2012 and today in 2018 Dogiparthi makes and sells all kinds of miniature clay art the last one being a customised FRIENDS set she made with a sofa guitar and pizza in itI had to study a lot and this was my diversion as you really have to focus and then you forget everything else One has to not just be patient but also come up with ideas on how to make it look real says the Chennaibased young lady who is known as oorugami on social media and sells her work for anywhere between Rs 200 to Rs 1000Shilpa Mitha though started with paper quilling during long recordings she attended as a sound engineer While bored Id try to make things out of paper One day I wanted to make a burger and fries and the paper just wasnt the right material Thats when my mom a craft teacher introduced me to clay says the 31yearold known on Instagram as suenosouvenir She says that miniature art is still a lesspracticed form in India is because we focus too much on engineering and medical streams There is no true engagement with the arts no introduction to ceramics or clay The only miniatures I saw growing up were the dolls we put during Navratri who are dressed up like the one of the demon KumbhakarnaShilpa MithaSo when she found that there werent many artistes turning Indian food into clay miniatures she decided to take up the challenge It looks cute in the end but the process is a lot of work You have to think of colour composition shape It takes me 17hour days sometimes two to three to make few of these says Mitha a Chennai resident who sells her work for Rs 500 upwardsAs Instagram buzzes with these artists known for their precision and steady hands its insightful to know why they do it and why are people lapping up the trend Prabhu puts it into words when she says I think people like them because of the scale difference and the amount of detail that goes in Why we do it Only a person who has immense patience and love to make the art piece reach some point of perfection can do this Isnt that reason enoughCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates